Digital media is being created and stored at a unprecedented rate. Robust error free storage can be achieved with error-correcting codes. Generally, error correcting codes are processes of adding redundant data to a message so that the message can be recovered even when errors are introduced. These errors can be introduced in a number of ways including (but not limited to) during the transmission of the message.
In addition to correcting smaller errors in data, steps can be taken to recover large portions of data when, for example, an entire hard disk is lost. Redundant Array of Independent (or Inexpensive) Disks (RAID) is a common configuration of disk drives that can distribute data such that data set can be rebuilt after the failure of one (or potentially more) individual disks.